Starting Point:
Brunswick, ME
Ending Point:
West Bethel, ME
Via: Topsham,
Lisbon Falls, Lisbon, Lewiston, Auburn, Minot, Mechanic Falls, Oxford, Norway,
South Paris, Paris, West Paris, South Woodstock, Bryant Pond, Locke Mills, and
Bethel.
Mileage: 73.4
Time: 7:59
Mph: 9.2
Terrain:
extremely hilly
Temperature High:
80
Temperature Low:
55
Lunch: Hannaford
Cobb Salad, potato salad(.9 pounds) and protein drink
Dinner: hiker
food – quick prep parmesan pasta
Weather:
extremely sunny
Wind: occasional
Lodging: Pleasant
River Campground
Cumulative
Mileage: 73.4
Miles to Go:
about 1,761
Projected
Distance: 1,843
Percent
Completed: 4%
The first day is always full of
apprehension and excitement. Is all equipment is working order, including the
body? Have I forgotten to pack anything? Have all sponsors submitted their
pledges to me? The checklist is rather lengthy and even with an official
equipment checklist from my 2006 ride; there are still things that are
forgotten. I guess it’s time to update the list.
This ride isn’t beginning with unbridled
confidence, because I’ve not been able to put in the kind of training I was
hoping. The primary thought is will I make it to the destination by the end of
the day – before dark?
In this instance, I did make it with half
an hour to spare. Part of the issue, of course, is not leaving early enough.
The alarm was set for 5am, but the bike wasn’t yet packed. It wasn’t until 9:30
that I was actually able to ride down the road. It seems like it was about 8pm
when I rolled up to the camp registration window.
On the up-side, it was an uneventful day.
This campground was the one at which I
stayed in 2005 when I was doing my circumnavigation of the State of Maine. Some
of you might remember that Mike, the owner, came to my tent the next morning
with egg and cheese muffins. I knew that was of life’s marvelous events, never
to be repeated. So I didn’t come here expecting that. When I asked Mike if he had
any food in the store I could purchase for breakfast, he said that he was
pretty much out of everything. This wouldn’t work that well for me since it was
a good 20 miles to Gorham, NH, the first place where breakfast items could be
found. I noticed there was a camper just next to the tenting area that showed
signs of life. I asked Mike how friendly the people in that camper were. He
said, “Oh, they’re pretty friendly. It’s my mother.” He yelled down to her,
“Carol, can you give this gentleman breakfast?” She yelled back, “Sure!” And so
it was, I was able to start the day with enough carbs to make it to Gorham and have fine breakfast
conversation with Mike’s Mom over eggs, donut, juice and coffee. The food was
necessary for the body; the conversation was good for the soul.
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